“Connor was swinging his feet and kicking the seat of the bus and Mr. Mason apparently got upset and handled him the way you wouldn’t handle anybody,” the boy’s mother, Desiree Johnston-Shirangi said. “From what the doctors are saying, he used excessive force on my child.”

The Commack school district issued the following statement Thursday: Yesterday we were advised that an incident occurred involving Commack students on a school bus operated by ACME Bus Company. ACME had been contracted by the District to provide mini-bus transportation for Commack students. The defendant is an employee of ACME not the School District.

As soon as we learned of the allegations, we immediately confirmed that the defendant had been removed from any and all District routes and will have no contact with our students. ACME has assured the District that the driver assistant had been properly screened and trained and that he had no prior incidents. The District will fully cooperate with the police in their investigation and, as always, the safety and welfare of children is our paramount concern.”

Johnston-Shirangi said that thus far the district had been helpful.

“The school district is doing everything it can, not only to protect my child, but to protect other children,” she said.

Conor’s parents were speaking with a lawyer and considering a suit against the bus company.